SF Masterwork series continued... - Page 16 - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Fried Egg · 3rd August 2011, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No One

And still no 2001: A Space Odyssey! I just can't fathom it...

Well, Clarke does have five titles so far in the series so he hasn't done too badly. And from those I've read so far, I think that's quite generous.

Anyway, even more additions to the series on their way:

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban (Hardcover - 8 Nov 2012)
Synners by Pat Cadigan (Paperback - 8 Nov 2012)
Take Back Plenty by Colin Greenland (Paperback - 13 Dec 2012)
The Sea and Summer by George Turner (Paperback - 1 Feb 2013)

AE35Unit · 3rd August 2011, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No One

And still no 2001: A Space Odyssey! I just can't fathom it...

Yes, its a sad omission from Clarke and Kubrick- their only collaboration. And yet theres tons of Dick!

Fried Egg · 3rd August 2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AE35Unit

Yes, its a sad omission from Clarke and Kubrick- their only collaboration. And yet theres tons of Dick!

Well, aside from Dick, Clarke has more titles in there than anyone else (see here for a breakdown by author). The number of Dick's titles in the series is definitely an aberration; most people would agree he has too many. But I don't think many would argue that Clarke has too few!

iansales · 3rd August 2011, 12:27 PM

Wow. Take Back Plenty. Excellent news. And the George Turner one is pretty good too.

AE35Unit · 3rd August 2011, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fried Egg

Well, aside from Dick, Clarke has more titles in there than anyone else (see here for a breakdown by author). The number of Dick's titles in the series is definitely an aberration; most people would agree he has too many. But I don't think many would argue that Clarke has too few!

Ah but 2001 is by clarke and Kubrick, and is more Kubrick than Clarke IMO

Ian Whates · 3rd August 2011, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AE35Unit

Ah but 2001 is by clarke and Kubrick, and is more Kubrick than Clarke IMO

The novel was entirely Clarke, although based on the work that he and Kubrick put in on the film. Kubrick was evidently furious at the novel, which he felt gave far too much away. This is why he ensured that Ian Watson could never write a novelisation of AI: Artificial Intelligence after the two of them had finished work on that.

antiloquax · 15th August 2011, 08:41 PM

I have been looking through the Fantasy Masterworks list (hope it's okay to post this here ...)
Anyway, I have some titles available to me by some of the writers, but not always the ones on the list. So could anyone suggest alternative titles by the authors of these books:

Fletcher Pratt The Well of the Unicorn (I have "The Blue Star", "The War of the Giants" and "The Onslaught from Rigel")
Clark Ashton Smith The Emperor of Dreams
C. L. Moore Black Gods and Scarlet Dreams
Jack Williamson Darker than you Think
Michael Swanwick The Iron Dragon's Daughter
Leigh Brackett Sea Kings of Mars and Other Worldy Stories

many thanks in advance

a

clovis-man · 15th August 2011, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antiloquax

Michael Swanwick The Iron Dragon's Daughter

Stations of the Tide. Although it's even more convoluted than The Iron Dragon's Daughter. It won a Nebula. Worth a try.

D_Davis · 15th August 2011, 11:08 PM

I thought The Iron Dragon's Daughter was terrible. Can't imagine considering that a "masterwork" of any kind.

D_Davis · 15th August 2011, 11:10 PM

From Brackett I highly recommend The Big Jump; it is very good. Although it is SF and not F.

From Clark Ashton Smith I can recommend just about anything you can get your hands on. It'll usually cost a pretty penny, but it's almost always worth it.

Quokka · 16th August 2011, 03:37 AM

So now there's a new release of Masterworks, yellow, unnumbered and a weird mix of books from the old SF masterworks and new choices?

It's good to see Childhood's End in this series, I always thought that was a bad exclusion from the original and Frankenstein's another nice addition.

Still no Neuromancer though, that has to be a legal issue? Really should be included somewhere in the collections..... Not that I've read it yet

.

I took a break from reading for quite awhile but I'm back into it again and now over halfway through the original collection. I've got another 2 or 3 on the shelf and then I'll be ready to buy another load and I suppose I really should get a move on before they start getting really hard to find!

D_Davis · 16th August 2011, 04:31 AM

Who votes on these? Have they ever given any criteria as to why one book is chosen while others are not?

GOLLUM · 16th August 2011, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D_Davis

Who votes on these? Have they ever given any criteria as to why one book is chosen while others are not?

Intersting question. I know some of it has to do with books that are out of copyright/rights sold but whether they have a panel that selects these books or an indivudal I'm not sure? It would be good to know the process that is followed. Having said that I've found the vast majority of Masterwork edns. I've so far read to be very good.

I'v never been happy with the switch from the numbered books with marvellous spines to the not so wonderful covers with yellow trimming with no numbers. I've got the entire numbered set but am now only getting those that are not repeats or that I do not already have in another edn.

Oh...and I actually quite liked Iron Dragon's Daughter but it was one weird book for me....

In fact I have the sequel but I'm yet to read it plus a retrospective collection of Swanwick's work still on my mountainous TBR pile.

clovis-man · 16th August 2011, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLLUM

Oh...and I actually quite liked Iron Dragon's Daughter but it was one weird book for me....

In fact I have the sequel but I'm yet to read it plus a retrospective collection of Swanwick's work still on my mountainous TBR pile.

Swanwick can be an acquired taste; sort of like olives or eggplant for some people. But I'm guessing nobody is ambivalent about him. It's either love him or hate him.

antiloquax · 16th August 2011, 07:24 AM

Thanks for the replies.
@D_Davis I have quite a lot of Clark Ashton Smith as ebooks. Could you give a more specific recommendation?
I have read a short story by Swanwick ("Dogfight"), which was excellent. On the strength of that, I'd like to read more.
a

3rd August 2011, 12:27 PM	#229 (permalink)
iansales Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: South Yorkshire Posts: 3,363	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... Wow. Take Back Plenty. Excellent news. And the George Turner one is pretty good too.

15th August 2011, 08:41 PM	#232 (permalink)
antiloquax Trans-MUTE! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: UK: ENGLAND: Posts: 307	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... I have been looking through the Fantasy Masterworks list (hope it's okay to post this here ...) Anyway, I have some titles available to me by some of the writers, but not always the ones on the list. So could anyone suggest alternative titles by the authors of these books: Fletcher Pratt The Well of the Unicorn (I have "The Blue Star", "The War of the Giants" and "The Onslaught from Rigel") Clark Ashton Smith The Emperor of Dreams C. L. Moore Black Gods and Scarlet Dreams Jack Williamson Darker than you Think Michael Swanwick The Iron Dragon's Daughter Leigh Brackett Sea Kings of Mars and Other Worldy Stories many thanks in advance a

15th August 2011, 11:08 PM	#234 (permalink)
D_Davis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Washington Posts: 1,349	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... I thought The Iron Dragon's Daughter was terrible. Can't imagine considering that a "masterwork" of any kind.

15th August 2011, 11:10 PM	#235 (permalink)
D_Davis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Washington Posts: 1,349	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... From Brackett I highly recommend The Big Jump; it is very good. Although it is SF and not F. From Clark Ashton Smith I can recommend just about anything you can get your hands on. It'll usually cost a pretty penny, but it's almost always worth it.

16th August 2011, 03:37 AM	#236 (permalink)
Quokka wandering Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia, Western Australia Posts: 1,502	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... So now there's a new release of Masterworks, yellow, unnumbered and a weird mix of books from the old SF masterworks and new choices? It's good to see Childhood's End in this series, I always thought that was a bad exclusion from the original and Frankenstein's another nice addition. Still no Neuromancer though, that has to be a legal issue? Really should be included somewhere in the collections..... Not that I've read it yet . I took a break from reading for quite awhile but I'm back into it again and now over halfway through the original collection. I've got another 2 or 3 on the shelf and then I'll be ready to buy another load and I suppose I really should get a move on before they start getting really hard to find!

16th August 2011, 04:31 AM	#237 (permalink)
D_Davis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Washington Posts: 1,349	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... Who votes on these? Have they ever given any criteria as to why one book is chosen while others are not?

16th August 2011, 07:24 AM	#240 (permalink)
antiloquax Trans-MUTE! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: UK: ENGLAND: Posts: 307	Re: SF Masterwork series continued... Thanks for the replies. @D_Davis I have quite a lot of Clark Ashton Smith as ebooks. Could you give a more specific recommendation? I have read a short story by Swanwick ("Dogfight"), which was excellent. On the strength of that, I'd like to read more. a

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